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Earth
This image of Earth was compiled using tens of thousands of images from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. Thanks to the satellite era, we are better placed to understand the complexities of our planet, particularly with respect to global change. Today’s satellites are used to answer important to understand how Earth works as a system and how natural processes are changing under the pressure of human activity. Satellites also provide essential information for everyday applications such as to improve agricultural practices, for maritime safety and to help when natural disasters strike.
Credit: Copernicus Sentinel data (2019–20), processed by ESA and cloud layer from NASA / eyevine
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Bucharest, Romania.
Bucharest, Romania.The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Bucharest – the capital and largest city of Romania.
Zoom in to see this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more about the features in it.
Bucharest lies on the southeast corner of the Romanian Plain, on the banks of the Dâmbovi?a River, a small tributary of the Danube. The city covers an area of around 225 sq km, in an area once covered by the Vl?siei forest, which, after it was cleared, gave way to a fertile flatland.
The city is characterised by a number of main squares from which streets and boulevards radiate. One of the main boulevards, Bulevardul Unirii, can be spotted in the middle of the city and leads the way to the Palace of Parliament.
An icon of the country’s capital, this monumental building is the largest in Europe and the world’s second-largest administrative building after the Pentagon in the United States. It is home to the Parliament of Romania as well as the National Museum of Contemporary Art.
Several lakes stretch across the northern part of the city, the most important of which are Lake Her?str?u, Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei, and Lake Colentina. In the centre of the capital is a small artificial lake – Lake Ci?migiu – surrounded by the Ci?migiu Gardens.
V?c?re?ti Nature Park can be seen in the southern part of the city. Covering an area of around 190 hectares, the park contains the wetlands surrounding Lake V?c?re?ti and hosts close to 100 species of birds, half of which are protected.
Agricultural fields dominate the rest of this week’s image. Romania is one of the biggest agricultural producers in the European Union, exporting mainly maize, wheat and other grains.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission to supply the coverage and data delivery needed for Europe’s Copernicus programme. The mission’s frequent revisits over the same area and high spatial resolution allow changes in inland water bodies to be closely m
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Easter egg hunt
Easter egg hunt.With Easter right around the corner, we take a look at four egg-shaped buildings visible from space as captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
Eggs are an ancient symbol of new life, associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to the 13th century. One explanation suggests that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during Lent, so people would decorate them to mark the end of penance and fasting, and eat them on Easter as a celebration.
The appetite for eggs is also apparent in modern-day architecture and design. In recent years, several egg-shaped structures have popped up in cities across the world. Here are just a few visible from space.
AT&T Stadium, US
In the top-left image, the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Dallas, US, is visible. The stadium serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), but it is also used for a variety of other activities including concerts, basketball and football games. The stadium seats 80 000, making it the fourth largest stadium in the NFL by seating capacity. Once known for its cotton ginning and agriculture, Arlington is primarily an industrial and commercial centre.
Beijing South Train Station, China
In the top-right, the Beijing South Train Station in the Fengtai District, Beijing, can be seen. The station is one of the cityÕs largest stations, and is one of the largest in Asia. It serves as the terminus for high-speed trains on the BeijingÐTianjin intercity railway and BeijingÐShanghai high-speed Railway which can reach speeds up to 350 km/h.
The station was built from more than 60 000 tonnes of steel and more than 490 000 cubic metres of concrete. To understand the enormity of the station, the main hall in the centre is big enough to accommodate a Boeing 747 aircraft, and the covered surface area of thCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Gariep Dam, South Africa
Gariep Dam, South Africa.
The Gariep Dam, the largest dam in South Africa, is featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
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The Gariep Dam, visible in the bottom right of the image, lies along the Orange River, bordering the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces. The damÕs primary purpose is for irrigation, domestic and industrial use as well as power generation. The wall of the Gariep Dam, which is around 88 m high and 900 m long, holds back the Gariep Reservoir and, when full, the reservoir covers an area of around 360 sq km.
This image has been processed in a way that highlights vegetation in shades of green and water bodies in black. The water on the east side of the Gariep Dam appears in royal blue owing to a large quantity of sediments coming from the Orange River, therefore appearing brighter than the water flowing out of the west side of the dam.
The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean.
The river is said to be one of the worldÕs most turbid, and is estimated to deliver around 60 million tonnes of sediment each year to the western margin of South Africa. A significant quantity of this sediment is believed to be from soil erosion, an increasing environmental threat to sustainability in southern Africa.
On the northern shore of the dam lies the Gariep Dam Nature Reserve, home to the largest number of Springbok in the country as well as other animals such as zebras, black wildebeest and ostrich.
The bright green circular shapes along the Orange River are an example of centre-pivot irrigation systems, where eqCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Suez Canal traffic jam seen from space
Suez Canal traffic jam seen from space.
The enormous Ever Given container ship, wedged in EgyptÕs Suez Canal, is visible in new images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.
The giant container ship ran aground in the canal on 23 March on its journey from China to the Netherlands. The image on the left, captured on 21 March, shows routine maritime traffic in the canal with vessels visible every 2 to 3 km. The image on the right, captured on 25 March, shows the 400 m-ship blocking the canal.
The canal connects Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Egyptian city of Suez on the Red Sea. The blockage has delayed hundreds of tankers and vessels in reaching their destination, and more maritime traffic is still heading to the crucial waterway. Ships can be seen accumulating in the Gulf of Suez.
Tug boats are working hard to dislodge the 200 000 tonne ship, however Egyptian authorities say it is unclear when the route will reopen.
The two identical Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites carry radar instruments to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of EarthÕs surface, making it ideal to monitor ship traffic.
The sea surface reflects the radar signal away from the satellite, and makes water appear dark in the image. This contrasts with metal objects, in this case the ships in the bay, which appear as bright dots in the dark waters.
Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Satellites map record floods in Australia
Satellites map record floods in Australia.
Stretches of land across New South Wales, Australia, have been hit with torrential rain leading to record-breaking floods. The heavy rainfall has caused dams to spill over, rivers to burst their banks and thousands of people forced to evacuate their homes. Data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission are being used to map flooded areas to help relief efforts.
This radar image uses information from two separate images captured by the Sentinel-1 mission on 7 and 19 March highlighting flooded areas in dark blue and urban areas in light grey. Many of these areas affected by the record-breaking floods were ravaged by wildfires during AustraliaÕs bushfire season in 2019. Large swaths of bushland and grazing country were scorched black by the blazes, with patches of burned land visible in light brown in the image.
Images acquired before and after flooding offer immediate information on the extent of inundation and support assessments of property and environmental damage. Copernicus Sentinel-1Õs radar ability to ÔseeÕ through clouds and rain, and in darkness, makes it particularly useful for monitoring floods.
Data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission have been used by the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service, activated on 20 March, to map the flooded areas. The service provides information for emergency response to different types of disasters, including meteorological hazards, geophysical hazards, deliberate and accidental man-made disasters and other humanitarian disasters, as well as prevention, preparedness, response and recovery activities.
Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Duststorm over Beijing
Duststorm over Beijing.
This image, acquired on 15 March 2021 by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission, shows a duststorm that has covered Beijing for a few days. A thick layer of dust and sand can be seen moving towards China from west, in what has been called the worst sandstorm in a decade. Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Amazon rainforest
Amazon rainforest.
Ahead of the International Day of Forests, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over part of the Amazon rainforest in the Amazonas – the largest state in Brazil.
As its name implies, the Amazonas is almost entirely covered by the Amazon rainforest – the world’s largest tropical rainforest covering an area of around six million sq km. The Amazon is the world’s richest and most-varied biological reservoir, containing several million species of insects, birds, plants and other forms of life.
This image has been processed using the infrared channel of the Sentinel-2 satellite which makes the dense rainforest appear in bright green. This makes differences in vegetation coverage more evident than only using the visible channels of the satellite that our eyes are able to see.
In the top of the image, the Juruá River, the most-winding river in the Amazon basin, is visible. The river appears in shades of maroon and magenta as the reflected sunlight from the water’s surface consists of a mix of mainly blue and green, while the reflection in the near infrared is almost zero – leading to the colours we see here.
The Juruá river, which flows more than 3000 km before emptying into the Amazon River, is turbid with relatively high nutrient levels. The river rises in the highlands in east-central Peru before winding its way through lowlands in Brazil.
Several crescent-shaped oxbow lakes can be seen flanking the river. Oxbow lakes are generally formed when rivers cut through a meander ‘neck’ to shorten its course, causing the old channel to be blocked off – migrating away from the lake and creating a more direct route.
The Tarauacá River, a tributary of Juruá, can be seen in the left of the image. Eirunepé, a settlCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Space Coast, Florida
Space Coast, Florida.
On 22 April 2021, on Earth Day, Thomas Pesquet is planned to return to the International Space Station for his second mission, Alpha. Ahead of his launch, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Cape Canaveral, USA, in a region known as the Space Coast.
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Cape Canaveral is a cape and city in Brevard County, in east-central Florida. The cape is separated from the mainland by the Banana River, Merritt Island and the Indian River from east to west.
The cape area is part of the region known as the Space Coast, and is home to the Kennedy Space Center Ð including the space shuttle landing facility, a visitorÕs centre, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and a space vehicle assembly building. Launch Complex 39A, visible along the coast, is where the Saturn V rocket carrying Apollo 11 began its voyage to the moon in 1969, carrying Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin ÔBuzzÕ Aldrin.
Before the space programme was launched, Cape Canaveral was a stretch of barren, sandy scrubland. The cape was chosen for rocket launches owing to its close proximity to the equator. As the linear velocity of EarthÕs surface is greatest towards the equator, the southerly location of the cape allows for rockets to take advantage of this by launching eastward Ð in the same direction as EarthÕs rotation.
The space centre is included in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, visible in the top of the image, which occupies more than 550 sq km of estuaries and marshes. It preserves the habitat of around 1000 plant and 500 wildlife species, included several endangered species. The city of Cape Canaveral lies just south of the space centre and around 8 km north of Cocoa Beach (visible in the bottom of the image).
It is from here whereCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Austin, Texas covered in snow
Austin, Texas covered in snow. On 15 February 2021 the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite captured this image of the city of Austin, Texas covered in snow during a cold snap. According to the BBC, the severe winter weather has left many without power, heat and water in what are the coldest temperatures Texas had in about 30 years.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Valentine Island, Australia
Valentine Island, Australia.For ValentineÕs Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Valentine Island in northern Western Australia.
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The tiny Valentine Island, visible in the top-left of the image, measures around 1.6 km in length and around 250 m wide. The island is located in the King Sound, a large gulf and inlet of the Indian Ocean in AustraliaÕs Kimberley Region. The gulf is around 120 km long and averages about 50 km in width.
The King Sound has one of the highest tides in Australia, and amongst the highest in the world, reaching a maximum tidal round of around 11 to 12 m. The Fitzroy River, one of AustraliaÕs largest watercourses, along with the Lennard, Meda and Robinson Rivers, empty their muddy and sediment-laden waters into the Sound.
The port town of Derby lies near the mouth of the Fitzoy River on the east shore of the King Sound.
A myriad of mangrove estuaries can be seen scattered around the coast. Australia is surrounded by around 11 000 km of mangrove-lined coast, located primarily on the northern and eastern coasts of the continent. Mangroves contribute many environmental benefits to coastal and estuarine ecosystems; they provide food and habitats for a wealth of wildlife such as birds and fish.
As more people move closer to coastal zones, the risk to mangroves increases. Greater pressure is placed on the mangrove environment from both direct and indirect sources such as dumping of waste, fish farming, sea level rise and climate change.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Netherlands in white
Netherlands in white.
As this image captured today, 11 February, by Copernicus Sentinel-3 shows, the Netherlands remains pretty much snow-covered thanks to days of sub-zero temperatures following the countryÕs first major snowstorm in a decade.
Storm Darcy hit the Netherlands in the evening of Saturday 6 February as it pushed its way through much of northern Europe. Strong winds and bitter cold, which initiated a Ôcode redÕ weather warning, brought the country to an almost standstill as most public transport was cancelled the following day Ð by which time most of the country was under around 10 cm of snow. The snowfall also caused disruption to parts of the UK and Germany.
Although the snow stopped falling a day or so later, temperatures have remained below freezing, reawakening the Dutch passion for ice-skating. The Netherlands is home to the century-old ÔElfstedentochtÕ, a 200-kilometre race on natural ice through 11 towns and cities in the northern province of Friesland. It was last held in 1997, but the current Covid pandemic restrictions mean that this historic race, which can attract thousands of participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators, is not permitted this year.
Climate change is thought to be having an impact on the chances of conditions being right for an Elfstedentocht Ð the canal ice has to be at least 15 cm thick. According to the Dutch Meteorological Institute, KNMI, a century ago, there was a 20% chance every year of it being cold enough to organise the race, this has now decreased to an 8% chance.
Copernicus Sentinel-3 is a two-satellite mission to supply the coverage and data delivery needed for EuropeÕs Copernicus environmental monitoring programme. Each satellite carries the same suite of four sensors. This image, showing snow cover in the Netherlands, northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, part of the UK aCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Let it snow in New York
Let it snow in New York.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captured this view of New York City on 4 February 2021. While making for a dreamy postcard, the recent snow storm was classified as 'major', disrupting public transport and schools.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Berlin snow
Berlin snow.
This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image shows a snow-blanketed Berlin, taken on 31 January 2021.
Tiergarten, one of the city's biggest parks, can be seen in the city center, south of the Spree river.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Lake Mar Chiquita, Argentina
Lake Mar Chiquita, Argentina.
The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission takes us over Lake Mar Chiquita – an endorheic salt lake in the northeast province of Córdoba, Argentina.
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Lake Mar Chiquita, around 70 km long and 24 km wide, is fed primarily by the Primero and Segundo rivers from the southwest and from the Dulce river from the north. While these rivers flow into the lake, there isn’t a natural outflow of water so it only loses water by evaporation, hence Lake Mar Chiquita being described as an endorheic lake. The lake’s surface area, as well as its salinity, varies considerably (ranging between 2000 and 6000 sq km), although it is slowly diminishing in size owing to evaporation.
Several small islands lie in the lake, the most important of which is El Médano. Vast expanses of saline marshes can be seen on the lake’s northern shore. The lake has been designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance, and is considered one of the most important wetlands in Argentina owing to its rich biodiversity. Over 25 species of fish are known to breed in Lake Mar Chiquita, with fishing and livestock being the principal land uses.
The colours of this week’s image come from the combination of two polarisations from the Sentinel-1 radar mission, which have been converted into a single image.
As radar images provide data in a different way than a normal optical camera, the images are usually black and white when they are received. By using a technology that aligns the radar beams sent and received by the instrument in one orientation – either vertically or horizontally – the resulting data can be processed in a way that produces coloured images such as the one featured here. This technique allows scientists to better analyse Earth’s surface.
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Tana River, Kenya
Tana River, Kenya.
The Tana River, KenyaÕs longest river, is featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
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The Tana River flows for around 1000 km from the Aberdare Mountains, west of Nyeri, running eastwards before veering south around the massif of Mount Kenya, and opening onto a wide valley, pictured here, where it meanders through a floodplain often subject to inundation. The river then continues its journey before entering the Indian Ocean at Formosa Bay, Kipini.
The river is known for its extraordinary biodiversity, as it provides water and life for wild animals, nomads and their livestock, as well as for agricultural purposes.
Some of the TanaÕs tributaries as well as several smaller, seasonal rivers, known as lagas, that only flow during the rainy season, are visible flowing in an east-west direction in the image. The river beds support livestock and wildlife during the dry season owing to their ability to retain water.
This false-colour image, captured on 25 February 2020, was processed in a way that included the near-infrared channel. This type of band combination from Copernicus Sentinel-2 is most commonly used to assess plant density and health, as plants reflect near-infrared and green light, while absorbing red. Since they reflect more near-infrared than green, dense, plant-covered land appears in bright red.
It is easy to pick out the narrow band of riparian forest visible along the banks of the river in the image. The riparian forest usually thrives year-round, although its extent is highly dependent on seasonal flooding and ground water recharge by the Tana.
This image was captured during the areaÕs wet season, where the small tributaries of the Tana are highly visible and a significan (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
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Sardinia, Italy
Sardinia, Italy.
Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
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Sardinia (also known as Sardegna) is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the west and south and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the east. The island sits 200 km west of the Italian Peninsula, 200 km north of Tunisia and around 12 km south of the French island of Corsica, partially visible in the top of the image.
This image, which uses data from 11 October to 14 October 2019, has been processed using the shortwave infrared band and the near infrared band to highlight dense vegetation. Crops and vegetation appear in bright green in the image, while bare soil can be seen in various shades of orange and brown.
Grasslands and croplands with a higher moisture content appear more vibrant in the image. As water is a strong absorber of infrared, inland water bodies are delineated and can be easily spotted in black. Much of the SardiniaÕs arable land is devoted to cereal cultivation and fruit growing.
Sardinia is a mainly mountainous region, with its highest point Mount La Marmora in the Gennargentu massif visible in the centre-right of the image. With over 1800 km of coastline, Sardinia is internally renowned for its beaches including those along the Emerald Coast, or Costa Smeralda, Alghero and Villasimius. The coasts, particularly in the east, are high and rocky, with long stretches of coastline with bays, inlets and various smaller islands located off the coast.
The archipelago of La Maddalena, including the renowned islands of La Maddalena, Caprera and Santo Stefano, can be seen in the top-right of the image. Its islands are known for their pristine beaches and wild beauty. CagliarCredit: ESA / eyevine
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North Frisian Islands
North Frisian Islands.
Part of the Frisian Islands, a low-lying archipelago just off the coast of northern Europe, is visible in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
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The Frisian Islands stretch from the northwest of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denmark. Although they are considered a single physical feature, they are divided into West, East and North Frisian Islands – with the North Frisian Islands visible here.
The North Frisian Islands are split between Germany and Denmark. There are four larger islands that make up the archipelago: Sylt, Föhr, Amrum, and Pellworm.
Sylt, the largest of the archipelago, is around 100 sq km and is known for its distinctive shape of its shoreline. Sylt extends in length more than 35 km and, in some places, is only 1 km wide. A sandy beach stretches across the islands’ west coast, however it has begun to erode owing to storm tides. The northernmost island of Germany, it is connected to the mainland by the Hindenburgdamm, an 11 km-long causeway.
The Wadden Sea on the islands’ east side, between Sylt and the mainland, is part of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park and has been a nature reserve and bird sanctuary since 1935.
The islands of Föhr and Amrum are visible southeast of Sylt. The larger Föhr is called the ‘Green Island’ due to it being sheltered from the storms of the North Sea by its neighbouring islands. The island of Amrum features an extended beach area along its west coast, which faces the open North Sea. The east coast borders to mud flats and tidal creeks of the Wadden Sea.
The three white islands visible below Amrum are the North Frisian Barrier Islands. These sand banks, or shoals, act as a natural breakwater for the smaller islands cloCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Morbihan, France
Morbihan, France.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Morbihan – a French department in the south of Brittany.
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Brittany is an important cultural region in the northwest of France and is divided into four departments: Ille-et-Vilaine in the east, Côtes d'Armor in the north, Finistère in the west and Morbihan in the south.
Morbihan takes its name from ‘Mor-Bihan’ which means ‘little sea’ in the Breton language. The Gulf of Morbihan, visible in the centre of the image, is one of the most famous features of the coastline with numerous islands and islets. The gulf is around 20 km long from east to west and around 15 km wide from north to south. It opens onto the Bay of Quiberon by a narrow passage between Locmariaquer and Port-Navalo.
Many ships and vessels can be seen in the bay. Several islands are visible in the image, including the small islands of Houat and Hœdic and the large Belle Île, which is visible in the bottom-left of the image. Belle Île is known for the sharp cliff edges visible on the southwest side, but also for its beaches and renowned opera festival.
The town and sea port of Lorient is visible in the top-left of the image. The town is situated on the right bank of the Scorff River at its confluence with the Blavet on the Bay of Biscay. The island of Groix lies a few kilometres off Lorient. The island has high cliffs on its north coast and sandy beaches in secluded coves on the south coast.
Morbihan is also known for its ‘Alignements de Carnac’ which consists of rows of around 3000 standing stones and megalithic tombs. The stones were said to be erected during the Neolithic period, around 4500 BC. Most of the stones are within the Breton village of Carnac, but some to the east are within La Trinité-surCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca.
Ahead of World Wetlands Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Lake Titicaca Ð one of the largest lakes in South America.
Covering an area of around 8300 sq km, Lake Titicaca lies on the high Andes plateau and straddles the border between Peru (to the west) and Bolivia (to the east). It is considered the highest major body of navigable water in the world, as it sits at an elevation of 3800 m above sea level.
The lake extends approximately 190 km from northwest to southwest and is 80 km across at its widest point. Tiquina, a narrow strait, actually separates the lake into two separate bodies of water. The larger subbasin in the northwest is called Lake Chucuito in Bolivia and Lake Grande in Peru, while the smaller in the southeast is referred to as Lake Hui–aymarca in Bolivia and Lake Peque–o in Peru.
Many rivers drain into the lake, including the Ramis, one of the largest, visible in the northwest corner of the lake. The smaller Desaguadero river drains the lake at its southern end, which then flows south through Bolivia. This outlet only accounts for a small percentage of the lakeÕs excess water, as the rest is lost by evaporation caused by persistent winds and intense sunlight.
Forty-one islands rise from TiticacaÕs waters, the largest of which, Titicaca Island, or Isla del Sol in Spanish, can be seen just off the tip of the Copacabana Peninsula in Bolivia. Several green algal blooms can be seen in the lake, including in the lakeÕs northwest and southeast corners. Snow in the Andes mountain range can be seen in the top-right of the image.
Lake Titicaca is a designated Ramsar Site of International Importance, as the waters of Titicaca are essential to the wellbeing of millions of people who rely on the lake for agriculture, fishing and tourism, as well as water birds and animals that live along and on its shores.
The 2 February marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importan
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Maharloo Lake, Iran
Maharloo Lake, Iran. Maharloo Lake, a seasonal salt lake in Iran, is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
Zoom in to see this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more about the features in it.
Maharloo sits at an altitude of around 1400 m above sea level and is located around 27 km southeast of Shiraz, in southwest Iran. Yearly evaporation in the desert region is much greater than the yearly rainfall, meaning the lake is often very dry.
Owing to the high evaporation rate, the lakeÕs bed has been covered by salt over time. This increased salinity in the lakeÕs waters has allowed certain algae to thrive and cover the surface. The water includes a variety of organisms that display colours ranging from pink to orange to red, with the strength of the colour differing in various periods of the year. Usually, the deeper the lake is, the darker the colours of the water.
Given the lake is seasonal, water levels will drop in the summer and rise again in the winter. In this image, captured in June 2019, the lake appears dark orange which means that the lake is very shallow but still contains some water. In comparison, Maharloo was completely dry in June 2021.
As is the case with many desert lakes, salt washed down from the surrounding mountains accumulates and can be seen in the image as a white crust along the lakeÕs shores. In some parts of the lake, facilities have been built for salt extraction (visible in this image along the southern shore).
The lakeÕs excessive salinity prevents organisms, especially fish, from living in the lake. However, some birds migrate to Maharloo during the summer months, including flamingo. Shiraz, visible in the top-left of the image, is the fourth-most-populous city of Iran. Shiraz International Airport can be seen just south of the city.
With its 13 spectral channels,Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Tarso Toussidé, Chad
Tarso Toussidé, Chad.
The Tarso Toussidé volcanic massif is featured in this false-colour composite image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
Zoom in to see this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more about the features in it.
Tarso Toussidé, capped by the Toussidé (potentially active) stratovolcano, is located in the western end of the Tibesti Mountains, in Chad. With an elevation of 3265 m above sea level, Toussidé is the second highest peak in Tibesti, after Emi Koussi.
Toussidé has undergone a number of eruptions and lava flows, with the lava reaching lengths of 25 km and covering an area of 200 sq km, appearing to have ‘stained’ the ground in the process. The volcano ejected tephra, fragments of rock and volcano glass, lava and ash. In the middle of the field lies Pic Toussidé, a lava dome which can be seen poking out of the caldera.
Toussidé is said to be amongst the youngest volcanoes in Tibesti. A large number of fumaroles (openings in or near a volcano through which gases emerge) are active on its summit, exhaling mostly water vapour at temperatures of 40–60 °C – suggesting it is the only active Tibesti volcano.
Just next to Toussidé, in the far-right of the image, lies the Trou au Natron caldera, which sits at an elevation of around 2450 m. A number of volcanic cones sit on the floor of the caldera, with numerous vents and hot springs on the caldera’s floor emitting hot steam.
Much of the surface of the caldera is lined with a white crust of salts, including sodium carbonite. These crusts are usually formed when mineral-rich steam is emitted from small vents on the crater’s floor, and when this evaporates in the heat, the minerals are left behind.
The caldera has an irregular diameter of around 6-8 km and is up to 1000 m deep, and is said to have been filled by a freshwater lake during the last glacial maximum.
In the left of the image, the red shows sparse vegetation along the ephem
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Madrid snowbound
Madrid snowbound.
Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on 11 January 2021 at 12:14 CET, this image of Madrid in Spain appears to have been taken in black and white. In fact, it is a true-colour image Ð but the heaviest snowfall in 50 years has blanketed the region, turning the landscape white.
Storm Filomena hit Spain over the weekend, blanketing parts of the country in thick snow and leaving half of the country on red alert. Madrid, one of the worst affected areas, was brought to a standstill with the airport having to be closed, trains cancelled and roads blocked.
Although this satellite image was taken after the storm had passed, it is clear to see that much snow still remains, especially in the outskirts of the city. For example, some runways at the airport, which is visible in the top-right of the image, are still covered by snow. The unusual cold weather on the Iberian Peninsula is expected to last until later this week with temperatures forecasted to plunge to Ð12¡C. The race is on to clear roads so that supplies of essential goods such as food supplies and Covid vaccines can be delivered.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission. Each satellite carries a high-resolution camera that images EarthÕs surface in 13 spectral bands. Together they cover all EarthÕs land surfaces, large islands, inland and coastal waters every five days at the equator.
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Spain’s chilly blanket
SpainÕs chilly blanket.
The heavy snowfall that hit Spain a few days ago still lies heavy across much of the country as this Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite image shows.
While the idea of snuggling under a blanket in the cold winter months is very appealing, the blanket that covers half of Spain is not remotely comforting. This satellite image, captured on 12 January at 11:40 CET, shows how much of the country is still facing hazardous conditions following the snow that fell at the weekend Ð the heaviest snowfall the country has had in five decades.
Storm Filomena hit Spain over the weekend, covering a large part of the country in thick snow. Madrid one of the worst affected areas (see satellite image), was brought to a standstill with the airport having to be closed, trains cancelled and roads blocked.
People in central Spain are struggling as a deep freeze follows the heavy snow. Yesterday, the temperature plunged to Ð25¡C in Molina de Arag—n and Teruel, in mountains east of Madrid Ð Spain's coldest night for at least 20 years.
Copernicus Sentinel-3 is a two-satellite mission. Each satellite carries a suite of cutting-edge instruments to measure systematically EarthÕs oceans, land, ice and atmosphere to monitor and understand large-scale global dynamics. For example, with a swath width of 1270 km, the ocean and land colour instrument, which acquired the two tiles for this image, provides global coverage every two days.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Madrid snowbound
Madrid snowbound.
Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on 11 January 2021 at 12:14 CET, this image of Madrid in Spain appears to have been taken in black and white. In fact, it is a true-colour image Ð but the heaviest snowfall in 50 years has blanketed the region, turning the landscape white.
Storm Filomena hit Spain over the weekend, blanketing parts of the country in thick snow and leaving half of the country on red alert. Madrid, one of the worst affected areas, was brought to a standstill with the airport having to be closed, trains cancelled and roads blocked.
Although this satellite image was taken after the storm had passed, it is clear to see that much snow still remains, especially in the outskirts of the city. For example, some runways at the airport, which is visible in the top-right of the image, are still covered by snow. The unusual cold weather on the Iberian Peninsula is expected to last until later this week with temperatures forecasted to plunge to Ð12¡C. The race is on to clear roads so that supplies of essential goods such as food supplies and Covid vaccines can be delivered.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission. Each satellite carries a high-resolution camera that images EarthÕs surface in 13 spectral bands. Together they cover all EarthÕs land surfaces, large islands, inland and coastal waters every five days at the equator.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Flooding in southern Iran
Flooding in southern Iran. Heavy rainfall has triggered flooding in southern Iran, particularly in the Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan and Kerman provinces. The downpour has led to blocked roads and destroyed bridges, crops and houses – displacing thousands of people.
This image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, shows the extent of the flooding in the Sistan and Baluchestan province on 13 January 2020. Flooded areas are visible in brown, while the flooded villages are highlighted by dotted circles. Sediment and mud, caused by the heavy rains, can be seen gushing from the Bahu Kalat River, Iran, and Dasht River, Pakistan, into Gwadar Bay.
Zoom in to view the image of the floods at its full 10 m resolution.
The flooding has also affected Zahedan, as well as Konarak, Saravan, Nik Shahr, Delgan, Bazman, Chabahar, Zar?b?d and Khash.
In response to the flood, the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service was activated. The service uses satellite observations to help civil protection authorities and, in cases of disaster, the international humanitarian community, respond to emergencies.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Mountains of snow
Mountains of snow. The snow-covered Alps are featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission.
Heavy snowfall in the Alps has been recorded over the past weeks, with up to 3 m of snow recorded in some parts of the Austrian and Italian Alps. On 14 December, the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument onboard the Sentinel-3 mission acquired this image of snow cover and low cloud coverage around the Alps.
According to Eumetsat, the snow came in two bouts. The first occurred during the weekend of 5-6 December and was stronger, influencing the western part of the Alps, while the second, on 8 and 9 December, brought snow to central and eastern Alps, and was not as abundant as the first. The skies then cleared after 10 December, allowing this image to be captured.
The first bout of snow lead to road blocks, power outages throughout South Tyrol and avalanche warnings, according to Der Spiegel.
Just south of the Alps, the typical winter fog and haze can be seen over the Po Valley. The haze is most likely to be a mix of both fog and smog, trapped at the base of the Alps owing to both its topography and atmospheric conditions. Patches of snow can also be seen on the island of Corsica, Croatia and at the bottom of the Apennines in central Italy.
Sentinel-3 is a two-satellite mission to supply the coverage and data delivery needed for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme. The mission is based on two identical satellites orbiting in constellation for optimum global coverage and data delivery.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Massive iceberg nearing South Georgia
A-68A iceberg loses chunk of ice.
New images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission revealed that the A-68A iceberg has spun around in a clockwise direction, moving one end of the berg closer to the shelf and into shallow waters. In doing so, the berg could have scraped the seafloor, measuring less than 200 m deep, causing an enormous block of ice to snap off the icebergÕs upper tip.
Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Rovaniemi, Lapland
Rovaniemi, Lapland.
The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission takes us over Lapland, the largest and northernmost region of Finland, just in time for Christmas.
Located within the Arctic Circle, Lapland, also called S‡pmi by the Sami people, stretches across northern Norway, Sweden and Finland, and into the Kola Peninsula of Russia. It is bound by the Norwegian Sea on the west, the Barents Sea on the north, and the White Sea to the east.
Lapland during the winter months means snowfall, temperatures well below zero degrees and the Northern Lights, or the Aurora Borealis, lighting up the dark, night skies. Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, lies at the top of the image, and is considered the official hometown of Santa Claus.
In Rovaniemi, the Arctic Circle runs through Santa Claus Village, located eight kilometres north of the city centre. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude where the sun can stay continuously below or above the horizon for 24 hours Ð these phenomena are known as the Midnight Sun in the summer and the Polar Night in the winter.
This image combines three radar acquisitions from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission to show changes in land conditions over time. The first image from 28 February 2019 is associated with green, the second from 11 March is linked to red, and the third from 04 April depicts changes in blue.
The changes that took place over time in this image are largely seen in the bottom-left of the image, where sea ice in the Gulf of Bothnia has shifted substantially along the coast. The Gulf of Bothnia, the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea, is situated between FinlandÕs west coast and SwedenÕs east coast. As it receives the water of so many rivers, including the Torne and Kemijoki rivers visible in the image, its salinity is extremely low, and ice cover is maintained for up to five months during the winter.
There are many Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Thwaites glacier seen by Copernicus Sentinel-2
Thwaites glacier seen by Copernicus Sentinel-2.
At around 120 km wide, Thwaites is the largest glacier on Earth and one of the most fragile glaciers in Antarctica. Imaged here by Copernicus Sentinel-2 on 26 November 2020, itÕs hard to imagine whatÕs going on deep below the ice. Hidden from view by ice kilometres thick, there is a vast network of lakes and streams at the base of the Antarctic ice sheet. Using more than 10 yearsÕ worth of altimetry data from ESAÕs CryoSat satellite, scientists discovered that the lakes beneath Thwaites, the largest of which is over 40 km long, drained in quick succession, in 2013 and then in 2017. This kind of drainage under Thwaites has never before been recorded. Scientists estimate that the rate of drainage peaked at about 500 cubic metres a second Ð possibly the largest outflow of meltwater ever reported from subglacial lakes in this region.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Kiruna, Sweden
Kiruna, Sweden.
Kiruna, the northernmost town in Sweden, is featured in this snowy image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
Kiruna, visible in darker tones just left of the centre in the image, is located in the county of Norrbotten and is around 145 km north of the Arctic Circle. The city, with a population of around 22 000 inhabitants, is on the eastern shore of Lake Luossa (Luossajärvi), between the iron-ore Kiruna (Kiirunavaara) and Luossa (Luossavaara) mountains.
Around 20 km east of Kiruna, the small town of Jukkasjärvi is visible, and is best known for its annual ice hotel constructed from snow and ice blocks taken from the nearby Torne River. Thin, dark lines cutting across the image are roads that connect the towns with other parts of Sweden.
At a latitude of almost 68°, around 40 km east of Kiruna, lies ESA’s Kiruna ground station, which in September 2020 celebrated 30 years of space excellence. The station is hard to spot, but is located in the centre-right of the image, just above a dark lake.
Ideally positioned to support polar-orbiting missions, the station is a crucial gateway for much of the data enabling us to study our planet’s oceans, water and atmosphere, forecast weather and understand the rapid advance of climate change.
Kiruna ground station is part of the Agency’s tracking station network – Estrack – a worldwide network linking satellites in orbit and across the Solar System with ESA’s Space Operations Centre, ESOC, in Darmstadt, Germany. The station features two sophisticated terminals with 15 m and 13 m-diameter antennas to communicate with satellites in Earth’s orbit, including CryoSat, Swarm, Copernicus Sentinel-1 and the recently-launched Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite.
While the North Pole Satellite Station in Alaska caught the spacecraft’s first signals from space after separation from the laCredit: ESA / eyevine
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A-68A on the move
A-68A on the move.
All eyes remain on the giant A-68A iceberg on its journey across the Southern Ocean. This image shows A-68AÕs movements over the past 15 days using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-3 missions.
Since its ÔbirthÕ in 2017, the iceberg has travelled thousands of kilometres from the Larsen C ice shelf, in Antarctica, and now lies just 210 km from South Georgia. The berg, which is around 150 km long and 48 km wide, is said to be one of the largest icebergs on record.
This Copernicus Sentinel-3 image shows A-68AÕs position on 30 November, with the icebergÕs previous positions derived from Sentinel-1 radar data. As seen in the image, the iceberg has drifted substantially over the past two weeks.
It is still unclear whether A-68A will reach South Georgia in the coming months, or whether currents will carry A-68A further northwest Ð where it will eventually break up into smaller bergs.
Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Kyiv, Ukraine
Kyiv, Ukraine.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Kyiv Ð the capital and most populous city of Ukraine.
Zoom in to see this image at its full 10 m resolution.
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is visible just below the centre of the image, along the Dnieper River in north-central Ukraine. The city covers a total area of around 840 sq km and is home to approximately three million people.
Originally just on the west bank, today the city of Kyiv spreads across both sides of the Dnieper River, which flows southwards through the city. The Dnieper is the fourth-longest river in Europe, after the Volga, Danube and Ural rivers. It rises on the southern slopes of the Valdai Hills of Russia and flows in a southerly direction through western Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea.
Directly above the city of Kyiv is the Kyiv Reservoir Ð a large water reservoir which is 110 km in length and 12 km in width. The reservoir is mainly used for irrigation, hydroelectricity generation and industrial and public consumption.
The neon green colours in the Kyiv Reservoir indicate a high quantity of algae. Algal blooms are dense layers of microscopic plants that occur on the surface of lakes, or other bodies of water, when there is an overabundance of nutrients on which algae depend. These high levels of nutrients are often caused by human pollution, such as wastewater or fertiliser runoff from agriculture.
Owing to UkraineÕs climate and arable land, agriculture plays a large role in the countryÕs economy. Large, agricultural plots dominate this weekÕs image, with corn, wheat and barley being the countryÕs main crops. With over 40 million hectares of agricultural land covering 70% of the country, agriculture is UkraineÕs largest export industry.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission. Each satellite carries a high-resolution camera that images EarthCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Qeshm Island, Iran
Qeshm Island, Iran.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Qeshm Island Ð the largest island in Iran.
Zoom in to see this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more about the features in it.
Qeshm Island lies in the Strait of Hormuz, parallel to the Iranian coast from which it is separated by the Clarence Strait (Khuran). With an area of around 1200 sq km, the island has an irregular outline and shape often compared to that of an arrow. The island is approximately 135 km long and spans around 40 km at its widest point.
The image shows the largely arid land surfaces on both Qeshm Island and mainland Iran. The island generally has a rocky coastline except for the sandy bays and mud flats that fringe the northwest part of the island.
The Hara Forest Protected Area, a network of shallow waterways and forest, can be seen clearly in the image, between Qeshm Island and the mainland. Hara, which means Ôgrey mangroveÕ in the local language, is a large mangrove forest and protected area that brings more than 150 species of migrating birds during spring, including the great egret and the western reef heron. The forest also hosts sea turtles and aquatic snakes.
The dome-shaped Namakdan mountain is visible in the southwest part of the island and features the Namakdan Cave Ð one of the longest salt caves in the world. With a length of six kilometres, the cave is filled with salt sculptures, salt rivers and salt megadomes.
The water south of Qeshm Island appears particularly dark, while lighter, turquoise colours can be seen in the left of the image most likely due to shallow waters and sediment content. Several islands can be seen in the waters including Hengam Island, visible just south of Qeshm, Larak Island and Hormuz Island which is known for its red, edible soil.
Several cloud formations can be seen in the bottom-right of tCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Laizhou Bay, China
Laizhou Bay, China.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the sediment-stained waters in Laizhou Bay, located on the southern shores of the Bohai Sea, on the east coast of mainland China.
Zoom in to see this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more about the features in it.
The bay is the smallest of three main bays of the Bohai Sea, and is named after the city of Laizhou, visible to the east. Large quantities of sediment carried by the Yellow River, visible in the left of the image, discolour the waters of the bay and appear turquoise. This sediment can be seen throughout the waters in this image, even far from the coast.
The Yellow River is China’s second longest river, with a length of over 5400 km, and is surpassed only by the Yangtze River. The river rises in the Bayan Har Mountains in Western China and flows through nine provinces before emptying into the Laizhou Bay. Its drainage basin is the third largest in the country, with an area of around 750 000 sq km.
The river is estimated to carry 1.6 billion tonnes of silt annually, carrying the majority to the sea. Owing to this heavy load of silt, the Yellow River deposits soil in stretches, ultimately elevating the river bed. Excessive sediment deposits have raised the river bed several metres above the surrounding ground, sometimes causing damaging floods.
On the southern coast of Laizhou Bay, in the bottom of the image, flooded fields are visible and are most likely artificial fish farms. The city of Dongying, home to the second largest oilfield in China, is visible in the left of the image.
This image was processed in a way that included the near-infrared channel, which makes vegetation appear bright red. The lush vegetation can be distinguished from the brown fields in the image, which are unharvested or not yet fully grown.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission. Each satellite carries a high-resolution camera that images Earth’s surfa
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Maldives
Republic of Maldives.
All 1200 islands that make up the Republic of Maldives are featured in this spectacular image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission.
The ocean and colour instrument onboard the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission has a swath width of 1270 km which allows us to enjoy this wide view of the Maldive Islands and its surroundings. A popular tourist destination, the Maldives lie in the Indian Ocean, around 700 km southwest of the southernmost tip of mainland India, visible in the top-right of the image.
The nation consists of a chain of small coral islands that are grouped into clusters of atolls à visible as circular or oval-shaped reef structures in the middle of the image. Scattered across 90 000 sq km of ocean, the Maldives are one of the most geographically dispersed countries in the world. The islands extend more than 820 km from north to south and around 130 km from east to west.
Most atolls of the Maldives consist of a large, ring-shaped coral reef supporting numerous small islands. In this image, captured on 29 March 2020, the Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll are partially covered by clouds (visible in the bottom of the image).
Different cloud formations can be seen dotted around the image, the difference in appearance is most likely due to the different height above the surface. The Maldive archipelago is frequently covered by clouds, making this almost cloud-free image quite rare.
One of the worldÕs lowest-lying countries, more than 80% of the MaldivesÕ land is less than one metre above mean sea level, making its population of over 500 000 people extremely vulnerable to sea swells, storm surges and severe weather. The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate on sea level rise states that the global mean sea level is likely to rise to around 1m by the end of this century, which could ultimately cover the majCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Ganges Delta
Ganges Delta.
The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission takes us over the Ganges Delta à the worldÕs largest river delta.
Covering an area of around 100 000 sq km, the Ganges Delta lies in both Bangladesh and the State of West Bengal in India. The delta is formed mainly by the large, sediment-laden waters of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.
The river bed of the Ganges can be seen in the left of the image, while Brahmaputra can be seen to the right. The snow-covered Himalayas can be seen at the top of the image.
The Ganges river carries fertile soil and nutrients, which it deposits across its vast delta floodplain. The river flows for over 2400 km from the Himalayas before emptying into the Bay of Bengal à the worldÕs largest bay. It is here where the murky coloured waters mix with the darker coloured waters of the Indian Ocean.
The delta is largely covered with a swamp forest, known as the Sundarbans, and can be seen in dark green near the coast with several rivers snaking through it. The Sundarbans, which translates as 'beautiful forest' in Bengali, are the worldÕs largest mangrove forest and provide a critical habitat for numerous species, including the Bengal tiger and the Indian python.
The city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is visible near the Sundarbans in the lower-centre of the image. With over 14 million inhabitants, Kolkata is one of IndiaÕs largest cities and is the dominant urban centre of eastern India. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, can be seen in the lower-right of the image, just north of the Buriganga river. Dhaka is BangladeshÕs most populous city and is one of the largest metropolises in South Asia.
With a population of over 100 million people, the delta is one of the most densely populated deltas in the world and is extremely vulnerable to climate change. The residents of this region are particularly at risk from repeated cataCredit: ESA / eyevine
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New York City
New York City.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over New York City Ð the most populous city in the United States.
With a population of over 8 million people distributed over an area of around 780 sq km, New York City is the most densely populated major city in the US. Situated on one of the worldÕs largest natural harbours, New York City is composed of five boroughs.
In this image, captured on 26 August 2019, the island of Manhattan is visible in the centre, bounded by the Hudson, East and Harlem rivers. In the middle of Manhattan, Central Park can be seen as a long, green rectangle with a large lake in the middle.
The Brooklyn and Queens boroughs can be seen on the right. John F. Kennedy International Airport Ðthe busiest international air passenger gateway into North America Ð can easily be identifiable in the lower right of the image.
The Bronx is visible north of Manhattan, while Staten Island can be seen in the lower left of the image. New Jersey dominates the upper left side of the image.
New York CityÕs 900 km of shoreline border the ocean, rivers, inlets and bays, and a harbour that is home to one of the largest ports on the east coast. Like many other cities that border an ocean, New York is at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels.
Data show that since 1993, the global mean sea level has risen, on average, just over 3 mm every year. Even more worryingly, this rate of rise has increased in recent years.
Sea level rise flooding of US coastlines is becoming more frequent each year. Rising sea levels are expected to worsen storm flooding in low-lying neighbourhoods in coastal areas, and permanently inundate some parts. Retreating shorelines and accelerating erosion will threaten coastal homes and businesses.
The upcoming Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, set to launch in November from the Vandenberg Air Force BaseCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Galápagos Islands – a volcanic archipelago situated some 1000 km west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.
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The archipelago consists of 13 major islands and a handful of smaller islands and islets scattered across approximately 60 000 sq km of ocean. Repeated volcanic eruptions and ongoing seismic activity have helped form the rugged mountain landscape of the islands. In this image, captured on 23 September 2020, several circular volcanic cones can be seen atop the islands.
The largest island of the archipelago, Isabela (Albemarle), is visible in the centre. Around 132 km in length, the island’s seahorse shape is the result of the merging of multiple large volcanoes into a single land mass. The five volcanoes seen on the island are (from north to south): Wolf Volcano, Darwin Volcano, Alcedo Volcano, Sierra Negra Volcano and Cerro Azul Volcano. Two of the island’s volcanoes, Ecuador and Wolf, lie directly on the Equator.
At the southern end of the island, hills covered with forests can be seen in bright green, separating the Sierra Negra, the most active of the Galapagos volcanoes, from the sandy coastline (partially visible here owing to cloud cover). Tortuga Island, named for its distinct shape, can be seen southeast from Isabela. The tiny island is actually a collapsed volcano that is a nesting location for a variety of seabirds.
The second largest island of the archipelago, Santa Cruz, can be seen to the right of Isabela. Its capital, Puerto Ayora (not visible), is the most populated urban centre in the islands.
The Galápagos Islands are best known for their diverse array of plant and animal species, many of which are endemic meaning they are not found anywhere else in the world. These include the giant Galapagos tortoise, the marine iguana, the flightless cormora
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Tarawa Atoll
Tarawa, Kiribati.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Tarawa Atoll in the Republic of Kiribati Ð a remote Pacific nation threatened by rising seas.
The Republic of Kiribati is an independent island nation consisting of some 33 atolls near the equator in the central Pacific. The islands are spread over approximately 3.5 million sq km of ocean, but with a total land area of only 800 sq km.
Tarawa Atoll, pictured here, lies approximately halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Tarawa consists of a large lagoon fringed by a V-shaped reef, around 35 km long, and is made up of more than 30 islets. Tarawa, the site of a brutal World War II battle, is divided into North and South Tarawa.
South Tarawa, is made up of a thin, string of islets joined by causeways and is home to more than half of KiribatiÕs 100 000 citizens. Bonriki International Airport, serves as the main gateway to the country, and can be seen in the bottom right of the image.
Kiribati is one of the lowest-lying nations in the world, with many of the countryÕs atolls and coral islands rising no higher than 2 m above sea level Ð making them extremely vulnerable to sea level rise. Kiribati has already seen growing damage from storms and flooding. In 1999, two of the nationÕs unpopulated islets, Tebua Tarawa and Abanuea, disappeared underwater entirely.
The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate on sea level rise states that the global mean sea level is likely to rise between 0.29 m and 1.1 m by the end of this century. While this may not sound like a lot, small island nations, including Kiribati, will face particularly devastating consequences.
Small changes in sea-level rise will not only cause flooding, erosion, soil contamination and coral degradation, but will ultimately shrink more of KiribatiÕs land area Ð displacing many of its inhabitants.
It iCredit: ESA / eyevine
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Iceland
Vatnajökull, Iceland.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Vatnajökull ice cap, in southeast Iceland, in this summery image captured on 6 July 2019.
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Covering an area of around 8400 sq km, which is three times the size of Luxembourg, Vatnajökull is not only classified as the biggest glacier in Iceland, but the biggest in Europe. With an average ice thickness of around 900 m, the ice cap has about 30 outlet glaciers – many of which are retreating owing to warming temperatures.
The most prominent outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull include Dyngjujökull in the north, Brei?amerkurjökull, and Skei?arárjökull to the south. Vatnajökull conceals some of the most active volcanoes in the country, of which Bár?arbunga is the largest and Grímsvötn the most active. Periodic eruptions of these volcanoes melt the surrounding ice and create large pockets of water, which can often burst the weakened ice causing glacial floods, or ‘jökulhlaup’ in Icelandic.
During these jökulhlaups, the glacier’s meltwater carries sediments and sands composed of ash to the coast. These outwash plains are called ‘sandurs’ and are commonly found in Iceland. Skei?arársandur, the large area of black sand, visible south of the Skei?arárjökull outlet glacier, covers an area of around 1300 sq km and was formed as the glacial rivers in the area washed ash and ice towards the sea.
In the bottom-right of the image, on the southern side of Vatnajökull, the Jökulsárlón glacial lake, dotted with icebergs, is visible. Jökulsárlón began to form when the Brei?amerkurjökull glacier began retreating from the Atlantic Ocean owing to rising temperatures.
The lake has grown considerably over time because of the melting of the glacier. It now covers an area of around 18 sq km, and with a maximum depth of around 250 m, it is considered Iceland’s deepest lake. The lake connects with the ocean and is, therefore, comp
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Mediterranean hurricane
Medicane Ianos.
The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission captured this image of the Mediterranean hurricane, or ÔMedicane,Õ crossing the Ionian Sea and approaching Greece yesterday 17 September at 10:48 CEST. Medicane Ianos, set to make landfall over Greece today, is expected to bring hurricane-force winds and heavy rain.
Medicanes are similar in form to hurricanes and typhoons, but can form over cooler waters. While hurricanes move east to west, medicanes move from west to east.
Sentinel-3 is a two-satellite mission to supply the coverage and data delivery needed for EuropeÕs Copernicus environmental monitoring programme. Each satelliteÕs instrument package includes an optical sensor to monitor changes in the colour of EarthÕs surfaces.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Amazon River
Amazon River.
This image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, shows the Amazon River meandering through one of the most vital ecosystems in the world Ð the Amazon rainforest in South America.
This image has been processed in a way that shows water bodies, such as the Amazon River, in blue. The Amazon river begins its journey in the Andes and makes its way east through six South American countries before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean on the northeast coast of Brazil. The river has a length of around 6400 km Ð the equivalent of the distance from New York City to Rome.
The Amazon is considered the widest river in the world with a width of between 1.6 and 10 km, but expands during the wet season to around 50 km. With more than 1000 tributaries, the Amazon River is the largest drainage system in the world in terms of the volume of its flow and the area of its basin. As a consequence of its ever-changing flow, older riverbeds can be seen as thin lines around the main river at the top of the image.
One of its tributaries, the Javari River, or Yavari River, is visible as a thinner blue line weaving through the tropical rainforest. The river flows for 870 km, forming the border between Brazil and Peru, before joining the Amazon River.
In the image, cities and built-up areas are visible in cyan, for example the cities of Tabatinga and Leticia with two airports are easily identifiable in the far-right. The yellow and orange colours in the image show the surrounding Amazon forest.
The colours of this weekÕs image come from the combination of two polarisations from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar mission, which have been converted into a single image.
As radar images provide data in a different way than a normal optical camera, the images are usually black and white when they are received. By using a technology that aligns the radar beams sent and received by the instrument in one orientation Ð either vertically or horizontally Ð the resulting da
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Darmstadt, Germany
Darmstadt, Germany.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Darmstadt (FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
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Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, US, where the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will soon launch from, is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
Zoom in to see this image at its full 10 m resolution.
The area pictured here shows the Santa Barbara County in the southern region of the US state of California. Located around 200 km northwest of Los Angeles, the county spans across 7000 sq km and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and south.
The county includes the coastal city of Santa Barbara, partially visible in the lower right of the image. Santa Barbara lies between the steeply rising Santa Ynez Mountains, visible in dark green directly above, and the Pacific Ocean. The mountains rise dramatically behind the city with several peaks exceeding 1200 m.
Other mountain ranges in the county include the San Rafael Mountains, visible directly above, and the Sierra Madre Mountains. Most of the mountainous area is within the Los Padres National Forest Ð CaliforniaÕs second largest national forest.
The countyÕs most populous city is Santa Maria, visible in the top left of the image, surrounded by a patchwork of agricultural plots. Like many other cities in California, Santa Maria experiences a Mediterranean climate.
Below Santa Maria lies the Vandenberg Air Force Base Ð visible along the coast. It is here, where the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will launch from. A joint European-US satellite built to monitor sea levels, the satellite will liftoff atop a Space X Falcon 9 rocket on 21 November at 18:17 CET (09:17 PST). The satellite, named after Michael Freilich, the former NASA director who advocated for advancing satellite measurements, will extend a nearly 30-year continuous dataset on sea level.
It will be the first ESA-developed satellite to be given a ride into space on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Famously, Falcon 9 is pa
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California on fire
California on fire.
Captured on 19 August 2020, this Copernicus Sentinel-3 image shows the extent of the smoke from fires currently ablaze in California, US. Amid the blistering heatwave, which is in its second week, there are around 40 separate wildfires across the state. Record high temperatures, strong winds and thunderstorms have created the dangerous conditions that have allowed fires to ignite and spread. The fires are so extreme in regions around the San Francisco Bay Area that thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Mauritius oil spill
Mauritius oil spill.
The island of Mauritius has declared a Ôstate of environmental emergencyÕ after a grounded vessel began leaking tonnes of oil into the Indian Ocean. Satellite images, which show the dark slick spreading in the nearby waters, are being used to monitor the ongoing spill.
The MV Wakashio vessel, reported to be carrying nearly 4000 tonnes of oil, ran aground on a coral reef on MauritiusÕs southeast coast on 25 July. According to media reports, more than 1000 tonnes of fuel have leaked from the cracked vessel into the ocean Ð polluting the nearby coral reefs, as well as the surrounding beaches and lagoons.
In this image, captured on 11 August by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, the MV Wakashio, visible in the bottom of the image, is stranded close to Pointe dÕEsny, an important wetland area. The oil slick can be seen as a thin, black line surrounded by the bright turquoise colours of the Indian Ocean. Oil is visible near the boat, as well as other locations around the lagoon.
In response to the spill, the International Charter Space and Major Disasters was activated on 8 August. The charter is an international collaboration that gives rescue and aid workers rapid access to satellite data in the event of a disaster. A full report that provides a preliminary assessment of the oil spill, using imagery from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, is available here.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission to supply the coverage and data delivery needed for EuropeÕs Copernicus programme. The missionÕs frequent revisits over the same area and high spatial resolution allow changes in water bodies to be closely monitored.Credit: ESA / eyevine
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Zeeland, Netherlands
Zeeland, Netherlands.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Zeeland à the westernmost province in the Netherlands.
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Located around 150 km from Amsterdam, Zeeland consists of a complex system of islands, peninsulas and waterways. It also comprises Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen à a strip of the Flanders mainland between the Western Scheldt (Westerschelde) and Belgium.
The province of Zeeland lies on the large river delta at the mouth of several rivers, like the Scheldt (Schelde) and Meuse (Maas) rivers. The lighter aqua colours in the image depict the shallow waters of the delta with riverbeds and several sandbanks visible. The brown coloured waters indicate a higher sediment content, which contrasts with the darker waters of the North Sea.
The Port of Rotterdam, the largest seaport in Europe, is visible top-right in the image. Antwerp, in Belgium, is visible in the bottom-right and the quaint city of Bruges can be seen in the bottom-left of the image.
Zeeland is one of the main agricultural provinces in the Netherlands with one of the largest areas of arable farmland. The patchwork of agricultural fields visible on the islands and mainland show the fields in the various stages of growth or harvest. The area supports cereals, potatoes, beets, cattle and horticulture.
Large parts of Zeeland, which translates to Ôsea land,Õ lie below sea level. The province was the site of a deadly flood in 1953 brought on by a combination of high spring tides and a strong windstorm that severely damaged the low-lying coastal region.
As a result, the Dutch government began to implement the Delta Project à an elaborate system of dykes, canals, dams and bridges to hold back the North Sea. In this image, the 9km-long Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier (Oosterscheldekering) is visible between the islands of Schouwen-DuivCredit: ESA / eyevine
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The Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands.
The Falkland Islands are featured in this radar image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.
The Falkland Islands lie in the South Atlantic Ocean, around 500 km northeast of the southern tip of South America. The Falklands comprise two main islands, West Falkland and East Falkland, as well as hundreds of other smaller islands and islets, which form a total land area approximately five times the size of Luxembourg. The two main islands are separated by the Falkland Sound, a channel that averages around 20 km in width.
This multi-temporal image combines two radar acquisitions from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission taken one month apart to show changes over time. The first image was captured on 29 December 2019, while the second was taken on 22 January 2020. Here, the main changes between acquisitions occurred in the open ocean, with the bright red colours showing wavy waters in December 2019.
The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission provides a continuous sampling of the seas, offering information on wind and waves. This is useful for understanding interactions between waves and currents and to improve efficiency for shipping and wave-energy applications, potentially producing economic benefits.
The landscape of the Falkland Islands comprises mountain ranges, flat plains, rugged coastline and cliffs. Hills run east-west across the northern parts of the two main islands, with the highest point being Mount Usborne on East Falkland (around 700 m). Two inlets, Berkeley Sound and Port William, visible in the far right of the image, run far into the land and provide anchorage for shipping. The majority of the population of the islands live in Stanley, on East Falkland.
The islands are covered with grasslands, but not trees, which are widely used as pastureland for sheep and cattle. The islands are also an important habitat and breeding grounds for birdCredit: ESA / eyevine
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A-68A in open waters
A-68A in open waters.A huge iceberg called A-68 calved from the Antarctic PeninsulaÕs Larsen C ice shelf on 12 July 2017. Three years on, it is in open waters near the South Orkney Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean Ð about 1050 km from its birthplace. The berg has already lost two chunks of ice, which were big enough to be given names: A-68B and A68C. Copernicus Sentinel-1 caCredit: ESA / eyevine
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